Protesters were seen handing flowers to police and military security, who have orders to show restraint while handling protesters.

Usually, only people with security clearance are able to enter Islamabad's red zone, which is a designated high security area around the country's key government buildings including the prime minister's secretariat.

On Aug. 19, protesters removed shipping containers barricading the red zone, which also houses foreign embassies in its diplomatic enclave; both parties have vouched not to violate it.

Popular cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan leads the party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) is led by a Pakistani-Canadian Sufi scholar-turned-politician Tahirul Qadri. Both allege that the May 2013 general election, which brought current Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party to power in a landslide victory, was rigged. They are marching to the capital to demand that he step down.

Initially, the government led by Sharif's party PML-N took extraordinary measures to prevent the two opposition parties from launching their massive anti-government marches to the capital, some 300 kilometers from Lahore city, on Pakistan's independence day Aug. 14.

In the first days of the protests, the crowds were at a few thousand, but they have since swelled to almost 100,000, according to some estimates.

Authorities attempts to place more containers to block off the area hasn't stopped the flow of protesters. Police were reportedly allowing most people to enter the area and only “half-heartedly” checking vehicles.

The PTI has once again done what no other political party could do (without threatening or buying them out): charge the previously apolitical and get them to rally for a cause, which quite possibly could rid us of a very corrupt government.

The PTI are disciplined enough to follow their leader Imran Khan’s call for peaceful protest but rowdy enough to flip a container or two without really causing harm to public property (leave aside the fact that they’ve taken over the capital city at the moment).

Alongside the PTI, march the angry man PAT’s Tahir-ul-Qadri and his chanters. His followers are very different from Khan’s supporters.

They will sit when he tells them to sit and stand when he wants them to rise. While Khan’s protest revolves around rigging and corruption the PML-N’s involved in, Qadri’s beef goes beyond.

Two months ago, several followers of TuQ lost their lives in a scuffle with the police outside his residence in Lahore. Those killed included women and children. The tragic incident was strongly protested against and in any other country, it would have been reason enough for members of the provincial if not federal, government to step down.

The difference was evident in each leader's statements. Khan tweeted defiantly:

Meanwhile, the army, Pakistan's strongest institution, finally broke its silence on the protests. The military, which has ruled Pakistan for half its life, has increasingly been trying to distance itself from politics since General Musharraf stepped down as president in 2008.

After protesters breached the red zone, the army asked for talks between the government and the protesters of both parties. The committee formed by the government met the leadership of PTI, which made six demands, the first being the resignation of the prime minister. Talks broke down on Thursday.

Amidst this deadlock, some feared that a military coup may happen. Based on a comparative study of the three major coups of Pakistan history, Tahir Mehdi at Dawn opined that there is no possibility for a coup-de-tat.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir pointed out the essence of democracy present in protests:

Like it or not but this is the difference between democracy and dictatorship Musharraf never allowed public protest in front of parliament — Hamid Mir (@HamidMirGEO) August 20, 2014

Media pushes a revolution

The “I broke the news first” media culture has been seen in full effect throughout the coverage of the protests by local news channels in Pakistan. Outlets have often focused on what could happen rather than what is happening.

Adnan Rehmat, a media and political analyst, argued for Dawn that the media coverage given to the two political leaders behind the protest was disproportionate:

“Qadri may have hundreds of thousands of followers but his party is not an electoral stakeholder, so the disproportionately high media coverage of his demands on this subject seems unjust,” he says, adding: “Coverage of Imran’s grievance on this subject is more understandable, but considering that his party garnered only a little above 20% of the 2013 vote, the media is being dubious in granting him so much coverage while letting the views and narratives of 75% voters of other parties on the subject unrepresented.”

In newspaper The Express Tribune, Chris Cork said the media hype was distorting the reality of the protests:

Viewing the media over the last week, particularly the electronic media, it would not be difficult to convince oneself that Pakistan is gripped by revolutionary fervour. It is not. Something less than 60,000 people are currently camped on Constitution Avenue with who-knows-what in mind beyond a set of increasingly unlikely demands from their leaders. That is not a revolution. It is undoubtedly an expression of discontent, and the protesters may be voicing what many think or feel, but a revolution it aint.

Meanwhile, another PTI protest began at the historic Teen Talwar monument in the city of Karachi.

Protesters have camped out in the capital for nearly a week. With mounting pressure from local traders suffering economically due to the besieging of the capital as well as the residents of Islamabad stuck in increasing traffic jams due to route blockages, the government has to find a solution soon to avoid total chaos.

Activists of the PML-N, the party in power, chant slogans against the Inquilab (Revolution) March and Azadi (Freedom) March during a protest demonstration in Karachi. Image by ppiimages. Copyright Demotix (12/8/2014)

The Pakistani government led by Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif and his party PML-N are taking extraordinary measures to prevent two opposition parties, led by populist politicians Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri, from launching massive anti-government marches to the capital on Pakistan's independence day August 14.

The government claims to be acting upon intelligence reports that the protests could turn bloody.

Despite the Lahore High Court's short order that the marches should not proceed because of “independence day and the chaotic and uncertain situation prevailing in the country”, both parties — Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) — are determined to march to the capital.

Popular cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan leads PTI, and PAT is led by a Sufi scholar-turned-politician and recently returned expat from Canada Tahirul Qadri. Both allege that the May 2013 general election, which brought Sharif's party to power in a landslide victory, was rigged. They are marching to the capital to demand that the prime minister step down.

Since the evening of August 13, parts of capital city Islamabad and Pakistan's second largest city Lahore have been blocked off with shipping containers to restrict movement. Some areas are expected to be without cellular services for the duration of the marches.

If the PMLN doesn't remove containers in Lahore, then it will be a serious contempt of court #IKonARY

In the days leading up to August 14, the government acquired hundreds of shipping containers to be used as hurdles along the streets and highways between Islamabad and Lahore, where many protesters are launching their march from. The journey between both cities is nearly 400 kilmeters (250 miles).

Popular Islamabad-based TV news host Moeed Pirzada tweeted:

#Islamabad again being sealed? Nawaz Govt has been changing it's position so frequently that it is impossible now to trust whatever they say

The government has rejected allegations that the election was rigged and says their security measures are a response to reports that there will be blood if the protests advance. Intelligence reports suggest that “some hired-guns have infiltrated into the PAT ranks and they would initiate a clash with law-enforcement personnel (who will then) resort to firing on the workers.”

According to the latest reports, police will allow PTI workers to continue their march while PAT workers will be stopped.

Neither of them began life as career politicians, but they now command vocal support and their angry rhetoric has the power to marshal equally angry crowds. Analysts say these young people are Mr Qadri's captive audience, and can be as militant or as docile as the words he employs to motivate them.

The parties have been planning their marches for weeks. PTI and PAT are social media savvy and are led by charismatic leaders who have proven to have street appeal attracting thousands in previous marches.

Nawaz Sharif acting like Hosni Mubarak in cracking down on r democratic right to protest. But we r resolved to undertake r Azadi March.

According to Newstribe, the police has blocked off most entry points into Islamabad with 400 shipping containers.

Shahzad Ahmed, the Pakistan director for Bytes for All, posted this on his Facebook:

Probably I was the last person to exit ‪#‎Islamabad‬ from Kashmir Highway. Then, I had whole motorway for myself It was a bit frightening experience Capital is sealed now from KPK side!

The parties have posted pictures of various roads dug up in Islamabad as an attempt to hinder the protests. An Islamabad-based security analyst posted this map showing the different points containers have been placed in Islamabad:

PAT's head offices are in Model Town, Lahore. PAT workers clashed with police there earlier this week and in June. The June clashes left dozens injured and killed eight people. The area around PAT's head office has been blocked by shipping containers since the clashes earlier this week.

Due to Model Town siege, another PAT activist has sadly passed away as containers didn't allow him to be hospitalized. #BrutalityofPMLN

Lahore is the capital of Punjab province, and political violence here is rare. It is also the home city of the country's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; his brother Shahbaz Sharif is the province's chief minister.

Election rigging allegations

On Wednesday, a day before the marches, the government asked the Supreme Court to set up a panel of judges to investigate claims of rigging in last year's general election, a move announced by Sharif late on Tuesday night in an attempt to ease the brewing political tension. The judicial probe was a key demand of Khan but he rejected Sharif's proposal and demanded he step down.

Leading the marches

Both leaders are considered Pakistan's next generation of politicians.

Cricketer-turned-popular politician Imran Khan is the chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf. Imran Khan's party emerged as the second largest in terms of votes won in the 2013 elections, though it finished in third place in terms of the tally of parliament seats. Khan's party commands a great strength amongst Pakistan's youth and has sizable street power as well.

Dr. Tahirul Qadri is a politician and a religious scholar of Sufism, who has written several books and leads the Canada-based Islamic studies organization “Minhajul Quran international organization”. He lived primarily in Canada up until recently. Dr. Qadri first protested with a mass following in 2012 against the corruption of the PPP's government led by Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto's widower. He registered his political party Pakistan Awame-e-Tehrik in Pakistan in 1989, but it was largely dormant for many years. His party's sudden street power in the 2012 protest took many political analysts by surprise.

PTI has successfully used digital medium in the past and this time around deployed an Ushahidi based platform to track reports on the march as well. It also publicizes the use of #‎AzadiMarchPTI‬ hashtag extensively.

Currently, public opinion is severely polarized in Pakistan with people living in Islamabad fearful of what will happen August 14:

Beena Sarwar, a Pakistani journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Boston, tweets a petition asking the PAT chief's other home country Canada to intervene:

CSS point Blog reiterates that the government is not in the mood for confrontation:

The prime minister rejected a proposal to take the leadership of PTI and PAT into custody. “There is no question of arresting the leaders. Rather, we’ll see to what extent they may go,” Mr Sharif was quoted as saying.

He also rejected a proposal to bring PML-N workers on the road as a measure to counter the protests. “A clash between parties should be avoided at all cost,” he said, stressing the use of only administrative measures to keep the situation under control.

For now, it seems this year Pakistanis will cautiously be celebrating their independence day.

A swimming accident at the age of 15 left Sarmad Tariq paralyzed from the left shoulder down and forced him to use a wheelchair. But that didn't prevent the man from Islamabad, Pakistan, from traveling the world as a motivational speaker and marathon athlete.

In his country and abroad, many were inspired by Tariq, who took in his stride whatever impossible odds nature put in his path.

He maintained a blog and Facebook profile where he was open with readers about his health and history and made it clear that he wasn't looking for pity. On March 16, 2014, he posted what became his last entry to his Facebook page and blog, describing his perseverance:

Dear God,

Quadriplegia, autonomic dysreflexia, sepsis, malaria, chronic bronchitis, bed sores and only you can tell how many more. You know that I currently suffer from more ailments that a common person can pronounce. Just during the past one month I have been rushed to the hospital twice in critical condition. [...] My family members are on the verge of nervous breakdowns. I regularly lose consciousness, get breathless by the simple act of speaking, see my body temperature rise to extreme highs and drop to unbelievable lows. [...]

And yet… yet I am not complaining. I live on, I keep smiling, my faith does not waver, I refuse to lose hope, I am a survivor. You know I am doing my best.

But… Dear God, I know you don't give anyone more than he can take, I know you wouldn't let me break, you wouldn't let my belief shake, but if it isn't too much to ask, I really really need a break!

An outpouring of posts commemorating Tariq online followed the news of his death.

In the run-up to the event, I had only “heard” about his story, I emailed him a couple of times, and talked to him over the phone to setup logistics and other details a few times prior to the event, but when he took to the stage, a quadriplegic in his wheelchair, wearing a Think Positive T-shirt, a bold white watch & a fumbling mineral water bottle – nothing prepared us for what he would say in the next 22 minutes – by the end of the speech, probably each of the 450 member audience had goosebumps and simply could not help giving this amazing man a long well deserved standing ovation.

Besides being grateful for the limitless times you have enriched our lives in personal and team gatherings, I thank you for standing by our side, amongst us, every time, to turn the youth of our country into leaders with compassion, resolve and foresight.[..] Your legacy shall live on!

Sarmad Tariq passed away. I knew him in the years prior to his accident. He was our neighbour, my earliest memory of him was fighting a bout of boxing in his own home and his love for Rocky 4. He said the key to happiness is I) absence of complaints, II) absence of regrets, III) absence of fear and IV) a constant source of self fulfillment. I asked him once how or why he didn't regret his accident. To which he replied that had not dived into that nehar, he would have probably joined the army and would have become a mediocre officer, but instead his handicap enabled him to actualise his potential.

On Twitter, Jehan ara, the president of Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES, wrote:

So sorry to hear of the demise of #SarmadTariq who proved that if one really wants to achieve something in life,there r no limitations #RIP

Social media editor for newspaper The Express Tribune Ema Anis confessed in a web column that she hadn't known of Tariq until after his death, when a flood of tweets like the above mourning him took over Twitter. With her curiosity piqued, she read more about him. What she learned left her “shaken”:

I had not seen any documentaries about him, had never heard him talk and yet, in a matter of minutes, he became the person I wanted to meet just once; someone to draw inspiration from, to find hope to go through this life and to learn to live it to the fullest.

To me, Sarmad seemed like a person who had ‘life’ figured out. He didn’t just know but was constantly aware of the fact that death is imminent. He was prepared for it and wanted to make the most of every single moment of his life.

And he succeeded.

Some on social media are considering organizing readings in Pakistan of Tariq's writings to commemorate him. In the meantime, those who want to read his writings on their own can visit Tariq's Facebook page and blog.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/05/06/the-pakistani-blogger-who-couldnt-walk-but-inspired-others-to-run/feed/5Five Urdu Bloggers From Pakistan Everyone Should Knowhttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/04/02/five-urdu-bloggers-from-pakistan-everyone-should-know/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/04/02/five-urdu-bloggers-from-pakistan-everyone-should-know/#commentsWed, 02 Apr 2014 02:42:58 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=457236Pakistanis like me blog and tweet in English because that is our comfort zone.

Pakistani private schools, many of which were legacy British colonial institutions (or pretend to be) had a bias for English. We were left to learn our Urdu skills by ourselves. Blogging in English also allows us to connect with an international audience and share views that counter the image of a singular “Pakistan” projected by international mainstream media.

There are however, tens of thousands of Pakistanis conversing on the Internet in Urdu, our other national language. These bloggers are the most popular within the country. Unfortunately, due to Google indexing and the difficulty of typesetting and coding Urdu's Nastaʿlīq alphabet, English language blogs from Pakistan dominate search.

English blogs will give you plenty of perspective on Pakistan; it is after all one of our official languages. But it misses the charm, linguistic depth and humor that exists in Urdu social media and blogs.

In Pakistan, English is spoken in the corridors of power, in the courts, and is the language of the rich or upwardly mobile. But Urdu, the other official language in the country, is spoken as a second language and understood by most Pakistanis.

Urdu blogs you should know about

Urdu blogging, despite the many technical difficulties it faces, is alive and well. The following five Urdu blogs and the amazing people behind them should give you a taste of the variety and depth of Urdu blogging today. (To prevent Urdu script from being distorted I included screenshots from these blogs, with translations, of course.)

1. Omar Bangash | Sila-e-Omar

Used with permission. From Omar's blog.

The most popular posts on Bangash's superb blog Sila-e-Omar are short stories, called afsanay in Urdu. Narrative fiction has a strong tradition in Urdu, and Bangash captures his readers with youthful, vivid imagery, strong command of prose, and personal characters. Written Urdu can be a very formal language but Bangash's afsanay capture the the bluntness and rawness of colloquial speech.

Translation: Only a few people knew Shabana’s real name. Everyone knew her by her stage name Shab Chaudhry. She was always over-embellished with gold-plated ornaments, in snugly-fit silk clothes, with a smile on her face. One time, she was gracefully returning an escaped hair strand to the right place, the other moment she played with her golden bangles, while listening attentively to the producer. Whenever she listened to the producer she transformed herself; no one can know what was really going on in her mind.

At بے طقی باتیں بے طقے کام (pointless talk and pointless work) [ur] Shoaib Safdar blogs about issues pertaining to culture, religion and the state of affairs in Pakistan. He also writes satirical and spiritually focused posts about the online world.

The following excerpt from his blog [ur] is a conversation between two friends. One friend invites the other, to a road trip to Thar, which is supposed to be part recreation and partly to help victims of a recent drought:

Screenshot from Shoaib Safdar's blog.

Translation: “Be ashamed. People are dying there and you are going to have fun.”

Sorry I asked you man. Please forgive me.

“You are no less than the people who went there for a fishing feast.”

Go and volunteer there if you want to help. But please stop acting like Geo TV and ARY News, because I know you, you'll just be passively watching them report in full volume tonight.

3. Duffer D | Dufferistan

Duffer D's avatar. Used with permission.

This is the funniest Urdu blog I have ever read. Dufferistan is hilarious whenever you click. From blogging on social media and its antics in Pakistan to more serious political topics, Duffer D pokes fun at it all, in exemplary Urdu. Duffer D uses an alias, so he is not known by his real name online.

Duffer D writes as dishes piles up in his sink in this post called Dirty Boy [ur]:

Screenshot from Dufferistan.

Translation: Just thinking about washing the dishes gives me tension. When I eat, I convince myself to leave a few bites in my plate and put it in the fridge; justifying my action, by telling myself that wasting food is a sin. If two or three of my total collection of four plates need to be cleaned, then I get so tense that my mental condition is unstable for the next three days, at least. I start seeing Scotch Brite (sponge) and Vim (detergent) in the form of witches in my dreams, and it's like the horrors of the grave.

4. Fahd Kekar | Cricnama

Fahd from his blog. Used with permission.

In a country bonkers about cricket, Fahad created cricnama, the most comprehensive online forum about cricket in Urdu. The blog carries international and local opinion pieces and news features on this great sport. There is also an English version of the site. Unlike the other bloggers featured into this post who use Naskh, Fahad stays true to Urdu's Nasta'liq script.

Translation:
While cricket fans were waiting for Gayle Storm in the T20 world cup, “Hails Storm” came out of nowhere and wiped out Sri Lanka. England with the help of Hails and Morgan gunned down the record total of 190, where Hails scored a century. England’s victory in such fashion is an answer to all the critics who declared England the weakest team in the tournament. After their horrible performance in fielding and losing two wickets on zero; England pulled this unpredictable victory off.

5. M Bilal M | M Bilal M

M Bilal M

This site is a treasure trove for anyone starting out in Urdu blogging. M Bilal M provides links to softwares that enable you to map your keyboard in Urdu, gives tutorials on Facebook in Urdu, and offers a variety of resources which enable you to establish your online Urdu publishing status within a few hours. The author has a pretty sharp pen when it comes to current affairs as well.
Here's an example [ur] from a recent post titled King of the Internet Google [ur]:

Screenshot from MBilalM's blog.

Translation: Google is famous for searching on the Internet. Because of its ability to search anything, there are lots of jokes on its very power to search, for example, a father tries to search for his lost son on Google, because Google can find anything. Well jokes apart, Google indeed has done many unique things. For instance their head office “Googolplex” is more of playground than a workplace. Indeed Google is the king of Internet and the Internet seems incomplete without Google. However, now Google's throne is in danger, because Google is spying for the U.S. government.

Bonus: Eight fun facts about Urdu

An introduction to Urdu Bloggers without an introduction to the language seems incomplete:

2. When Pakistan was carved out of united India in 1947, it was decided that Urdu would be made the national language to unite all the different Muslim ethnicities in the new country, although it was only spoken by 10 million people at the time.

5. The origin of Urdu is disputed by linguistics. One popular story, which some call a myth, is that Urdu (which means army camp in Turkish) was created as a “camp language” by soldiers in the Mughal army that spoke Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Hindi so they could communicate amongst themselves.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/04/02/five-urdu-bloggers-from-pakistan-everyone-should-know/feed/7Film Documents America's “Invisible” Drone War in Pakistanhttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/02/16/video-exposing-the-invisible-war-u-s-drone-in-pakistan/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/02/16/video-exposing-the-invisible-war-u-s-drone-in-pakistan/#commentsSun, 16 Feb 2014 09:44:18 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=456456A recently released short film focuses on the physical, moral and political invisibility of the United States drone war in Pakistan.

We speak to journalists, activists and experts inside and outside of Pakistan about the consequences of the strikes in the tribal FATA region, why they are possible, and how we can make the issue more visible using data and visualization tactics.

The reasons for high number of casualties have been contributed to shoddy intelligence gathering standards such as facilitating strikes without knowing whether the individual in possession of a tracked cell phone or SIM card is in fact the intended target of the strike.

Jeremy Scahill, journalist and author of ‘Dirty Wars: The World Is A Battlefield’ explains how the definitions of “imminent threat” and “enemy combatants” are being redefined by US authorities to give legitimacy for drone attacks. For example all military-age males in an area of known terrorist activity are deemed as combatants, assumed to be up to no good and can be condemned to death by drone.

In the movie “Unseen War” you can hear more from the protagonists by reading the full interviews accompanying the film. You can watch the movie on the website or download it. You can also read the stories and engage in discussions.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/02/16/video-exposing-the-invisible-war-u-s-drone-in-pakistan/feed/0Pakistani Web Rallies Against Proposed Ban on Whatsapp, Viber and Skypehttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/10/20/pakistani-web-rallies-against-proposed-ban-on-whatsapp-viber-and-skype/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/10/20/pakistani-web-rallies-against-proposed-ban-on-whatsapp-viber-and-skype/#commentsSun, 20 Oct 2013 19:46:52 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=438458The first week of October saw the government of Pakistan's Sindh province, which includes Karachi, the country's largest city, propose a ban on voice communication tools such as WhatsApp, Viber and Skype for three months due to security concerns.

Various activists and bloggers have taken to Twitter to vent their anger at the government over the plan. As the discussion heats up throughout social media, it's becoming clear that proposing and implementing a ban of this nature on such widely used technology is not going to happen quietly.

The jury is still out on whether the ban will be implemented. Some have worried that recent service disruptions on voice over Viber and WhatsApp meant that the government was going through with the plan. However, conflicting statements from the federal and local governments coupled with the fact that nothing has gone completely dark yet have lead Pakistan's online community to still have hope that the government will not put a ban in place.

Bytes for All, a human rights organization with a focus on communication and information technologies, had the following criticism for the plan in a blog post on 10 October:

The proposed ban is a disproportionate and overly broad measure. It will curb the fundamental rights of people in Sindh province and undermine the use of widespread communication platforms. Instant messaging and VoIP services, such as Skype, Viber, Tango and WhatsApp, are increasingly popular with Pakistani smartphone users looking for affordable means of communication. All of these services are now under threat of being suspended. The Sindh province authorities have not indicated how they will carry out this proposal: whether, for example, they will use filtering or blocking.

The ban wouldn't be the first of its kind in Pakistan - YouTube has been blocked for more than a year.

Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor), a member of the national assembly from Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and a social media user, assessed the situation:

Then it was YouTube, now it will be rest of the Social Media. This won't work unless you completely shut down the internet all over Pakistan

Leaning away from businesses and economics, lets reflect on the impact it may have on citizens who have family and loved ones all around the world. Increase in gas prices has made it too expensive to travel; work/school commitments don’t give one enough time to do so either. Phone bills are higher each day and communication just becomes more expensive by the minute. To combat the cost of communication and maintaining relationships, we use Skype, Viber, WhatsApp etc that provide us with cost effective modes to be able to keep in touch and feel connected. Its as simple as that. We want to stay in touch, and we have the resources to do so. But now, the government has decided to have a say in how we do that as well? What next will the government regulate? Who we can or cannot talk to? It comes back to the same argument posed once before, has the government really become nannies for the citizens? (If so, Im still waiting on that college funding that was promised).

Is this agony due to the fact that there are bad guys roaming social networks like whatsapp and viber and plotting things that are against national security? I suppose some of it maybe but to think those same tech equipped bad guys would not be able to side step a ban via proxy is somewhat un intelligent to me. Also more dim witted seems the idea that bad guys exist in sindh only and thus this region must be the only one subjected to this proposed ban.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/10/20/pakistani-web-rallies-against-proposed-ban-on-whatsapp-viber-and-skype/feed/0Pakistani Mother, Daughters Gunned Down for Dancing in Rainhttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/07/02/pakistani-mother-daughters-gunned-down-for-dancing-in-rain/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/07/02/pakistani-mother-daughters-gunned-down-for-dancing-in-rain/#commentsTue, 02 Jul 2013 19:26:45 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=421326A mother and her two teenage daughters were shot to death after five masked men broke into their house in the small town of Chilas in Gilgit, Pakistan in what was reported to be an honor killing.

The girls, ages 15 and 16, were reportedly targeted on June 24, 2013 killing over a mobile video of them enjoying rain in their garden, which had been circulating locally and was taken as an affront to the family's honor.

Authorities allege that the killer was the girls’ stepbrother Khutore who was enraged at watching this video and enlisted the help of four of his friends to restore, in his view, his family's honor. The friends have since been captured and confessed to their crimes, but Khutore is still at large.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan‘s annual report, honor killings remain “the most consistent and abhorrent form of violence against women in Pakistan.” In 2012, 913 women were killed in the name of their family's honor, including 99 children, the report says.

It is an outcome of vengeance. 95% focused on women. One of the family members (mostly a man), with the consent of other family members, kills and sentences the woman on few basis. For the whole family this becomes a moment of pride when they sacrifice their own blood because due to her they earned dishonor. There are many reasons that are considered as the main and basic causes behind the honor killing.

Screenshot from the alleged mobile video that is believed to have lead to the slaying of these teenage sisters. Uploaded on YouTube by NewsMedia24

Reacting to the recent killing, New York Times Pakistan Bureau Chief Declan Walsh (@declanwalsh) tweeted:

Gedrosia (@gedrosian), a Twitter user from Balochistan province, added that leaked mobile videos have had dire consequences for female students in conservative areas too:

@gedrosian: there are a number of cases in Balochistan too where college/school photos were leaked. and girls were taken out of colleges

Writing a few days before this most recent killing, The Future summed up the solution to ending honor killings:

I feel that a revolution is required in the thinking pattern of the male members to change the existing notion of power. The prerequisite in the present scenario is not to empower one gender over the other but equilibrium between the two genders towards accomplishment of joint goals, better society and a better future for the upcoming generations by being proud of one’s own culture is needed.

As Pakistan nears its first democratic transition of power with the country's historic elections only days away, social media is empowering Pakistanis to take a more active role in the vote.

Elections in Pakistan are a tense affair. The five-year tenure of the democratically elected Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government is set to end with elections on May 11, 2011. Nearly every time elections were held in the past, parties have hurled accusations of rigging and misconduct at each other, giving way to violence.

But unlike the past, when the average Pakistani had to rely on the mainstream media to gather first-hand news and form their opinion, social media has changed things. There is an increasingly informed portion of tech-savvy populace which is using Facebook and Twitter.

Two new online platforms in Pakistan are attempting to use social media to monitor the upcoming elections for irregularities and violence as well as to inform the public about the electoral process.

Voter Stats. Infographic courtesy of Pak Votes

Pak Votes

Pak Votes (English, Urdu) is an election monitoring citizen journalists platform. It is an initiative that aims to highlight the voice of ordinary citizens through citizen media to generate an alternate narrative of 2013 electoral contest.

Using social media tools, it encourages openness by citizen participation and tries to provide timely and reliable information. The focus is to increase the people's ownership of the democratic system.

The innovative citizen journalism portal aims to empower the common people to voice their opinion on the upcoming elections, cite any Code-of-Conduct violations before, during and after the upcoming elections, and also report incidents of violence or rigging.

The project has trained 40 field monitors from the most remote and most violence-prone areas around Pakistan. These field monitors are reporting election problems in real-time to the platform from remote regions, which are generally ignored by the mainstream media. These reports are mapped here.

A shopkeeper vows to vote for PTI. This picture was sent to PakVotes for iVote campaign by @SoofiaSays

For example, a PakVotes-trained citizen journalist from Quetta, Balochistan has reported:

Most women don’t even have their NIC cards with them. Either they never had an ID card made, or their husbands or fathers have them. This essentially forces them out of the voting process and so, they get to have no say in the electoral process.

Apart from the monitoring, the platform aggregates blogs, opinion pieces, and analysis from citizens on the PakVotes website. @wordoflaw wrote in a post ‘Wattan Ya Kaffan’.

Rather tragically, there are two elections being contested in Pakistan. One is an election that is focused on rhetoric and a “New Pakistan”. The other, the election that the ANP is contesting, raises the issue that in order for there to be a “New Pakistan”, the State of Pakistan must continue to exist. And it is that Pakistan which is under attack.

The project can be followed on Facebook and on Twitter (@pakvotes). If you are in Pakistan and witness violence in any form, report it to PakVotes by sending an SMS to 0334-40-2222-4, send an email to report@pakvotesmap.pk, or simply tweet to @PakVotes.

Pak Voter

This platform allows Pakistani citizens to learn about elections and the electoral process via social media in order to urge them to get out the vote. Pak Voter provides information and links for informed voting decisions, while offering the information in a neutral and apolitical way.

This process does not begin and end with elections — it is an ongoing endeavor and would require constant and long-term engagement of Pakistanis to not only vote, but remain active after elections and hold the winners accountable to their mandate.

Speakers at Pak Voter's first voting information session on May 7, 2013. Photo by Faisal Kapadia.

Exercising our vote is something we all must do. If we don’t vote, the people who shouldn't be in power will win. Their loyalists will vote for them. And with us not casting any, they will once more gain control. Isn't this what we are trying to change? Shouldn't we cast a vote then, if not to elect someone, then to help not elect someone who is not capable?

A @pakvoter-hosted chat on Twitter was the number one trending topic in Pakistan under the hashtag #letsvote on May 8, 2013:

@FarriRizvi (Farheen Rizvi): roads and banks are the coins of an elected govt. Elected govt shud provide security for domestic/foreign investment @pakvoter

Unknown to most of the world, fashion plays a huge role in Pakistani life.

Pakistan's Fashion Weeks

Since 2009, Pakistan has hosted dozens of fashion weeks. These ‘Fashion Weeks’ offer the world a rare glimpse into a blossoming and professional industry that illustrates cultural norms in Pakistan aren't as rigid or conservative as most believe.

This Spring/Summer 2013 edition of Fashion Pakistan Week will be followed by two more fashion events in April – the Bridal Couture Week in Karachi which will focus on wedding wear and then Lahore will host another Fashion Week.

Global Voices interviewed three designers ahead of the event, who explained that despite their nation's circumstances, they are constantly innovating and creating:

Designers are also coming up with high tech ways to reach their market. A great example is this E Store which will be carrying these collections hours after they walk the ramp, for anyone to purchase locally or internationally.

Fashion Pakistan Week is set to break social media boundaries in the country, as well. Not only will the event be livestreamed, but fashion bloggers like Nida Moughal and some Twitterati will be covering the event. The Internet is a big worry though; the whole region is plagued by broadband issues because two out of the four submarine cables that link Pakistan to the web have been damaged.

Government-enforced electricity outages or ‘loadshedding’ have been in place since 2008 to manage Pakistan's electricity shortage. So when the lights first went out, many responded by powering up their generators or lighting candles, thinking it was a scheduled outage. Until tweet after tweet came in reporting that practically the whole country had been affected.

The news was verified almost instantly by journalists like Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) on Twitter:

Load sheddings (rolling blackouts) are quite common in Pakistan and are wildly unpopular. Reports suggest government mismanagement:

The government does not want to upset voters so there are no planned outages to manage the electricity shortage …[Sunday] was bound to happen. You can’t keep people happy with an uninterrupted power supply when surrounded by so many problems.

One of the first people to suggest that this power failure was on a national level was Samra Muslim (@samramuslim) with this tweet:

Soon social media in Pakistan was buzzing with queries to the online Twitter account of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation @kesc_ltd.

When most of Pakistan aside from the high-security red zone and military bases remained shrouded in darkness, people once again turned to humor to make life easier during the blackout. As hilarity ensued, even our neighbors joined in on the puns:

With umpteen promises to turn the power back on within hours and people ranting and raving about all kinds of conspiracy theories from an army coup to an alien invasion, day light finally brought with it the sanity of restoration to the national grid. As city after city came back to power, Pakistanis realized that even the darkest night in our history could be seen through with unity to laugh in the face of helplessness.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/02/27/pakistans-darkest-night-on-social-media/feed/0Pakistan: Riots Aftermath – Project Cleanup for Peacehttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/10/07/pakistan-riots-aftermath-project-cleanup-for-peace/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/10/07/pakistan-riots-aftermath-project-cleanup-for-peace/#commentsSun, 07 Oct 2012 22:59:55 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=362926September 21, 2012, was a day that will be remembered for a long time in Pakistan. On this Friday the government of Pakistan announced a day of protest against the film insulting the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) which was a source of a worldwide controversy as its trailer was released on YouTube.

The protests started peacefully with thousands of people taking the streets in solidarity against this video, but the absence of leadership on the ground led these protests turn violent.

The world then witnessed images of mobs looting and burning cinemas, breaking into banks and stores and general mayhem until religious leaders called for peace and the throng dispersed around the evening, not before 19 Pakistanis had lost their lives.

People gather at burnt Sarhadi Lutheran Church which was set ablaze by angry protesters during demonstrations against blasphemy anti-Islamic movie. Image by Owais Aslam Ali. Copyright Demotix (22/9/2012)

Recently, certain elements using freedom of conscious and freedom of speech as an excuse, have made an anti-Islam film either to show their malice towards Islam and the Holy Prophet, or maybe, to spread hatred against Islam. As a result of this, there has been a violent reaction among various organizations and countries. They, in order to vent their anger and displeasure, have resorted to furious protests, often leading to arson and destruction of private and public property. I always wonder that why don’t they try to give a satisfactory response to the criticism of the critics, and to make an effort to convey the true and real message of Islam to the World.

The elite should stop reacting with such marvellous shock. And please, please stop mocking the mob. If you are privileged enough to have a voice, use it to address the larger disease, not selective symptoms. The ones responsible for law and order and the ones who claim to be our leaders, they are responsible for not just the violence on Friday, but the daily horrors Pakistanis outside the Red Zone have to deal with

There were others though in Pakistan, who felt that instead of just sitting and declaring these protests righteous or bad they should do something about the destruction caused. Thus Faran Rafi and a bunch of other volunteers from all over Pakistan started a Facebook event called “Project cleanup for peace“. Within five hours it had 2,500 volunteers and on 23 September just two days after the carnage they took to the streets in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

A lot of mess to cleanup. Protesters loot and burn a family park in peshawar. Image by Musharrat Ullah Jan. Copyright Demotix (22/9/2012)

@Rida_Umar: Such exemplary projects by Pakistani youth. It definitely takes time for the revolution to occur,but it does happen.

@HaseebAfsar: It's great to see that there is positives in the society and it's about time this positivity is mobilised to uproot all evils

@silverskyN: #ProjectCleanUpForPeace was supported by individuals who were frustrated after the mockery made out of the #IshqeRasoolDay. The message was simple that we believe in respect for ALL religions, tolerance, co-existence and inter faith harmony. Although we are aggrieved, we do NOT support resorting to violence! Islam is a religion of Peace and Love.

So the protests have finished, the cleanup has been done, the walls painted over, the roads swept. What about those who lost their lives during this anarchy? Will Pakistanis ever be able to recover from the emotional and psychological turmoil and anger the country felt that Friday?

“They must” seems to be the resounding answer. They must learn to control at least some of their emotions so that more lives are not lost. These youths have shown the resilience in their cleanup efforts indicating a change.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/10/07/pakistan-riots-aftermath-project-cleanup-for-peace/feed/0The Pain of Being Physically or Mentally Challenged in Pakistanhttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/09/23/pakistan-the-pains-of-being-physically-or-mentally-challenged/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/09/23/pakistan-the-pains-of-being-physically-or-mentally-challenged/#commentsSun, 23 Sep 2012 20:17:14 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=358167In this world everyone is striving for perfection, and yet there are many who are falling behind from our relentless rat race for existence. Being a physically or mentally challenged person in Pakistan is a very painful existence because society finds it exceedingly hard to accept people who are a bit different, who need a little special care. They are usually shunned to the point that they feel alienated.

The first issue though is that of access. Less than 10% of buildings, restaurants and public places in Pakistan have proper ramps and facilities for disabled people. Erum Sangji, an apparel sourcing agent in Karachi, speaks on the lack of access issue in reference to her niece who is autistic:

Furhan Hussain commented on Twitter:

@FurhanHussain: Please note how schools/universities inculcate zero awareness in youth by not providing ramps and accessibility options in campuses.

Disabled protesters set a wheelchair on fire during demonstrations against social welfare cuts and demand special job quotas during International Disability Day. Hyderabad, Pakistan. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copy right Demotix (3/12/2011)

Bisma Askari, an architect working in Karachi, said:

bismAskari: Even basic facilities such as ramps are at a minimum, but are made with the wrong proportions. A wheelchair access ramp should have a ratio of 1:10 therefore making it comfortable for wheelchair use (an example of this is the pedestrian bridges at sharah e faisal. Only now do places like dolmen mall and port grand have wheelchair access but something like the flooring at port grand is not convenient for wheelchairs as well as there is no access to the shops / mall as there are steps.

Samra Muslim said:

@samramuslim: @faisalkapadia with older people it's like ‘why do u need to be out – u r old and dying’ … Sad mindset we have …

Another huge stumbling block in the lives of physically and mentally challenged people in Pakistan is the social stigma attached to them as well a lack of proper educational facilities.

Taimur Mirza, an adventurer and off-road enthusiast who is raising a disabled 23 year son, Shehryar, speaks on this issue:

Ameenah remarked on the non participation of the state:

@ameenahtobani: haven't seen any facility for them they really feel handicapped no effort from state to make them feel indpndnt!

Faizan Lakhani chimed in about the lack of facilities:

@faizanflkhani: We don't have dedicated car park area for them. No special arrangements in public transports. #gv #Pakistan

This is not the only chapter in this book though. Despite all of these issues and hurdles, disabled citizens of Pakistan have been busy striving to achieve success with great merit in fields such as sports and education.

The Paralympics Association was founded in 1998 in Pakistan, and had trained athletes with disabilities to achieve the amazing result of 16 gold, 19 silver and 20 bronze medals in various sporting events around the world. The video below is a small reminder of their achievement:

There are several organizations and NGOs in Pakistan working for the rights of physically and mentally disabled people. Schools such as Manzil, Autism Institute, Dar ul Sakoon in Karachi and the Rising Sun school, and the Thevenet Centre in Lahore are also included in this list. These are just a few examples in this fight against injustice and humiliation. One of the most recent achievements in this field is a remarkable rickshaw provided by the NOWPDP, which can be controlled by hands alone.

Imran Ghanchi at the Unique Pakistan blog talks about the special rickshaw for disabled people:

“This rickshaw has better features than the one I had,” explained Ghanchi. “I am encouraging other disabled people to become drivers.” He is buoyed by the backing of the network.

The Government of Pakistan should at least take concrete steps to provide government jobs to educated special people. Those who have fake degrees reach the parliament. We have genuine degrees but are deprived of our right. It is also the clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which has been signed by 153 countries including Pakistan, which on 5th of July, became one of 107 countries to have ratified it. The most fundamental principle of the convention is to change society attitude towards person with disabilities by making it more inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based.

The government has taken some steps such as the formation of a separate NIC (national id card) for the differently abled people in this country, giving them the chance to at least apply for some of the benefits they should get by default. However the integration of such individuals in the society at an acceptable level is a fight which they and the concerned citizens of this nation are fighting everyday.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/09/23/pakistan-the-pains-of-being-physically-or-mentally-challenged/feed/0Being a physically or mentally disabled person in Pakistan is a very painful existence because society finds it exceedingly hard to accept people who are a bit different, and who need a little special care. In this post,Being a physically or mentally disabled person in Pakistan is a very painful existence because society finds it exceedingly hard to accept people who are a bit different, and who need a little special care. In this post, differently abled people from Pakistan talk about their experiences.Global Voicesclean6:02Pakistan: Shia Target Killings Continuehttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/16/pakistan-shia-target-killings-continue/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/16/pakistan-shia-target-killings-continue/#commentsThu, 16 Aug 2012 23:59:04 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=348230On August 16, 2012, gunmen stopped a passenger bus in Mansehra, pulled 20 Shia Muslims off and killed them in cold blood. This is the third incident of targeted killing against the Shia community in Pakistan in the last 6 months.

The bus was en route to a popular tourist destination in the north of Pakistan Gilgit, from Rawalpindi, a city close to the capital Islamabad.

They stopped three vehicles, searched them and picked up people in three batches of five, six and nine and shot them dead. They were all Shias.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accepted responsibility for the attack.

In a similar incident on February 28, gunmen in military fatigues hauled 18 Shia Muslim men off buses travelling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit and killed them. On April 3, a Sunni Muslim mob dragged nine Shia Muslims from buses and also shot them dead in the town of Chilas.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/16/pakistan-shia-target-killings-continue/feed/3South Asia: First Pakistan-India Social Media Summit Wrapshttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/17/south-asia-first-pakistan-india-social-media-summit-wrapup/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/17/south-asia-first-pakistan-india-social-media-summit-wrapup/#commentsTue, 17 Jul 2012 18:57:57 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=338488It was a very hectic Friday and Saturday in Karachi at the Pakistan-India SOCMM12 summit. With sessions starting from 9:30 am and going on till 5:00 pm with only a one hour break for lunch/prayer, the community was busy discussing, networking and learning from the panelists. The attendance was quite high with many calls coming in to gain admission, so the organizers decided to open doors for all, midday on the first day. However this summit was not without its difficulties of which the major one was obtaining visas for the Indian delegation.

Recounting the difficulties related to the visa issue, Sabeen Mahmud of Peaceniche, the non-profit organisation behind the event, thanked the Pakistan High Commission staff in New Delhi who stayed back till 10 pm to process the papers, as well as Interior Ministry Advisor Rehman Malik, who went out of his way to expedite the visas.

The highlight of the weekend was meeting the guests that were invited from India, who were able to attend thanks to (former) Senator Rehman Malik's personal influence in getting them visas. I met a cricket writer, a journalist, an educator. One of them had even read my novel. We compared notes about Karachi and Bombay. Social media, as they said, knows no boundaries or visas, but meeting our neighbors in the flesh was incomparable to anything else.

The summit also came in for some criticism from bloggers in Pakistan who chose not to attend this gathering citing several reasons including sponsorship by the U.S consulate and the invitees belonging to one particular class.

Kashif Aziz wrote at Chowrangi in a post titled “trolls liberals and wannabes”:

The Social Media Mela (aka SOCMM12) was an apparent attempt by the US Consulate PR department to win the hearts and minds of Pakistani Social Media. However, the bunch of enthusiasts grouped at the venue does not represent Pakistani Social Media per se. The so-called influencers have an out reach mainly to the English speaking part of Pakistan, and that too in a small percentage.

The melas popularity was also witnessed across nearly all major newspapers of this country as it was given page length print space.

Express tribune's coverage

Dawn's coverage

Also of note were the musical performances in this social media mela, with Qawalli (traditional sufi music) being performed at the end of the first day and Laal band's performance at the end of the second day.

All in all, it was pretty clear that the people present were quite thrilled at this meeting of minds and enjoyed the opportunity given to them to their fullest. The underlying theme of peace was reiterated again and again impromptu in several sessions with calls for an ethical code for social media made by bloggers and responsibility key in them. You can photos of the event in its Flickr account.

Will the countries of India and Pakistan find peace through summits of this nature? Obviously not as that demands a political solution, but lines of communication must remain open and there is no better way of doing that then to have the netizens of both nations unite at opportunities given to them. The participants of SOCMM12 achieved that.

]]>http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/17/south-asia-first-pakistan-india-social-media-summit-wrapup/feed/2South Asia: First Pakistan-India Social Media Summithttp://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/10/south-asia-first-pakistan-india-social-media-summit/
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/07/10/south-asia-first-pakistan-india-social-media-summit/#commentsTue, 10 Jul 2012 13:45:46 +0000http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=335832Pakistan has seen a hyperactive social media community making its presence felt in the past year in activism, online campaigns as well as discussion. In line with this, a social media summit between Indian and Pakistani netizens titled the “Social Media Mela 2012″ has been announced and scheduled for the 13th and 14th of July 2012. By expanding its footprint across the border, the Social Media Mela 2012 aims to nurture dialogue, thought leadership, and critical engagement with entrepreneurs, journalists, activists, and creative professionals. The Summit will feature sessions that explore the creative arts, the changing face of media and politics, pop culture, slacktivism versus activism, education, innovation in the interruption economy, crowd-funding, and the business of social media.

Director of peace niche “sabeen mahmud”

Reactions on this summit/mela (fair) have been mixed in the Pakistani social media diaspora. As tempers flare and with seats being limited to 300 everyone, the netizens are divided trying to either get into the summit or shoot it down.

Taimoor malik tweeted about a session featured in this summit

@Taimoor Malik : #gvfk There will be an open mic session called “Dil Ki Bharaas” Interesting antics can be expected. #socmm12

Abdullah soomro thought the idea of a summit is crucial in his tweet

@soomro_abdullah: Much needed initiative to encourage collaboration and dialogue among social media fraternity of two countries. gvfk #socmm12

Saj Shirazi was hopeful as per his past experience on twitter

@sajshiraji : Given my last year's experience, I feel excited about #SOCMM12

The Logo Of Social Media Mela 2012

Samra muslim is looking forward to this media mela as per her tweet

@samramuslim: should be extremely interesting to listen to both India and Pakistan success stories on social media and meet the ppl! #gvfk

As in any social media summit, a key element is its live streaming and coverage. Although Peace Niche has committed to live twitter feeds as well as a flicker stream, live streaming of this event has not been confirmed as yet due to the obvious security issues with our Indian friends visiting.

Puruesh Chaudry from Islamabad points out the necessity of live streaming as well.

With 3 days left and the invites just going out, Peace niche, the organization that is arranging this summit in the port city of Karachi was a beehive of activity today.

Panelists on both sides of the border featuring in this summit cannot control their excitement and were heard expressing it on social media as well.

Onir the independent film director said

@IamOnir: looking forward …. been a dream for many years to visit your city and country

Sabbah Haji, another panelist from India, is equally thrilled as she tweeted

@imsabbah: Faasla na rakhein…Pyaar honay dein… *giggle* Honoured to be one of the speakers at ‪#SOCMM12‬ in Karachi

Nighat of Bytes for all is all for unity as she tweets!

@nighatdad: BIG YES! RT @faisalkapadia: @nighatdad #pakindiasmbhaibhai :) this summit we can show the world tht pak and india can collaborate #socmm12

The schedule of this social media mela is provided here and by the looks of will be the talk of new media in Pakistan for some time to come. Whether or not it will lead to more controversy or actually bridge the teetering divide between India and Pakistan even if limited to its netizens still remains to be seen. Do follow on twitter for live updates with the hashtag #socmm12!!